GALLBLADDER CANCER IN SALTA: EPIDEMIOL - OGY, RISK FACTORS AND PROFILE OF KRAS GENE ALTERATIONS

PARADA L.A.; SAUCEDO C.N.; VEGA BENEDETTI A.F.

Mar del Plata

Congreso; LXI Reunión Científica Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación Clínica; 2016

Sociedad Argentina de Investigación Clínica

Gallbladdercancer (GBC) has unique characteristics in Argentina; large differences interms of age-standardized-mortality rates (ASMR) due to this tumor type havebeen reported for the NW region of the country (8-9/105 women/ year)respect to the eastern Pampeana region (1.4/105 women/ year).  Moreover, the profile of abnormalities of keygenes such as kRAS and TP53 in gallbladder cancer seems toslightly differ worldwide. We surveyedthe clinical records of the San Bernardo hospital, the main health institutionsin Salta city, looking for information about the epidemiology of GBC. A totalof 8,135 patients were operated for different gallbladder pathologies duringthe period 2006-2015. Among them 83 (1.02%) were diagnosed with GBC, and thevast majority were women. The mean age of the patients at the diagnosis timewas 61 years. Cholelithiasisconstitutes the major risk factor for GBC, and the composition of thegallstones seems to be related to nutritional habits. Therefore, we alsocollected 70 samples of gallstones and gallbladder tissue from patients withcholelithiasis and GBC operated during 2015, to analyze their chemicalcomposition and the kRAS gene status,respectively.  Fourier infrared spectroscopy analysis showed that apart from the frequentcomponents detected in this type of concretions, a considerable amount ofgallstones from these patients had high levels of heavy metals. The moleculargenetic analysis to evaluate kRAS isstill in course, and data will be presented. GBCparticularly affects women in Salta, and represents a significant public healthproblem.